The present invention provides an accumulating conveyor having a mechanical system for sensing empty stations and for advancing articles so that all stations are occupied. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,500,992 and 3,590,987 disclose lift and carry accumulator conveyors having reciprocal transfer slides operable upon initial forward movement to move independently movable feed members to article carrying positions. The transfer slides then are raised to lift the articles behind an empty station and advance them to the next adjacent stations. Although the accumulating conveyors disclosed in these patents perform adequately, they are relatively complex because of the added movement of the transfer slides longitudinally of the conveyors to set the feed members to their article carrying positions and therefore they are subject to additional wear and maintenance. Another disadvantage of these accumulating conveyors is that the feed members are moved through relatively large angles between their idle and feed positions. Consequently, when the feed members are returned to their idle positions they strike their stops with high impact forces which increases the noise level in the vicinity of the conveyor and which creates added stress on the components, a stress that could lead to an early failure of the components.
It is the general object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an accumulating conveyor wherein feed members are moved to feed positions in response to an initial upward movement of the transfer bar.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an accumulating conveyor having feed members movable through relatively small angles between idle and feed positions to provide a smooth and quiet operating accumulating conveyor.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accumulating conveyor employing flexible connecting means for mechanically moving all feed members behind any empty station to feed positions.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accumulating conveyor that minimizes component movement, that is reliable, and that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.